Chapter 4- Chasing Silence

Ethan POV

Ethan didn’t chase.

He never had to.

People came to him—eager, curious, desperate for his attention. He chose who mattered, who stayed, who disappeared. That was how his world worked.

So this?

This was new.

And he didn’t like not understanding it.

The morning air was sharp as he leaned against his car, eyes scanning the campus without really seeing it. Students passed by in clusters—laughing, talking, existing.

None of them were her.

His jaw tightened slightly.

He didn’t even know why he came early.

Correction—he did.

Her.

Belle.

The girl who looked at him like he didn’t exist.

A faint scoff left his lips.

“Unbelievable…”

But his eyes kept searching.

Then—

There.

Walking alone.

Of course she was.

Head slightly lowered, bag slung over her shoulder, moving like she didn’t want to be seen.

Ethan straightened.

His gaze sharpened instantly, locking onto her like a target.

Something in his chest shifted—something unfamiliar.

Not interest.

Not curiosity.

Something… sharper.

He pushed himself off the car and started walking.

Not rushed.

Not hesitant.

Deliberate.

Controlled.

But with every step, his focus narrowed until everything else faded into the background.

Just her.

She didn’t notice him.

Didn’t even look up.

Ethan’s lips twitched slightly.

“Let’s fix that.”

He closed the distance easily, falling into step beside her.

Still—

Nothing.

No reaction.

No glance.

No acknowledgment.

His brow furrowed.

“…seriously?”

Belle just kept walking.

Like he wasn’t there.

Ethan let out a quiet breath, then spoke—

“Belle.”

No response.

Not even a flicker.

His expression darkened slightly.

That never happened.

He tried again, voice a little firmer this time.

“Belle.”

Still nothing.

But this time—

He noticed.

The headphones.

Tucked neatly over her ears.

His gaze dropped briefly to them, then back to her face.

And suddenly—

It clicked.

She wasn’t ignoring him.

She was somewhere else.

Completely.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly, something almost amused crossing his expression.

“She’s serious…”

He stepped in front of her.

That—

That got a reaction.

Belle stopped abruptly, her steps halting just before she could walk into him.

Her eyes lifted slowly.

For a brief second—

They met his.

And there it was again.

That same look.

Calm.

Distant.

Untouched.

Then—

Gone.

Because just as quickly as it appeared, she looked past him.

Like he was nothing more than an obstacle.

Her hand lifted, gently adjusting her headphones, pressing them closer to her ears.

Turning the volume up.

Ethan blinked once.

…Did she just—

A quiet, disbelieving laugh left him.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

He moved again, stepping back into her path.

This time closer.

Close enough to force her attention.

Belle paused again.

A small sigh escaped her lips—not annoyed, not angry.

Just… tired.

Her fingers slid under one side of her headphones, pulling it down just enough to hear.

“What?” she asked softly.

No attitude.

No curiosity.

Just a question she didn’t really care about.

Ethan studied her for a moment.

Up close, she looked even more… unreachable.

Not cold.

Not distant.

Just… somewhere else.

“Do you always ignore people like that?” he asked, his tone laced with something between amusement and challenge.

Belle didn’t answer immediately.

Her gaze drifted slightly—past him, through him.

Then she spoke.

“I didn’t ignore you.”

A pause.

“You’re just not important enough to interrupt my music.”

Ethan froze.

For a second—

Just a second—

He didn’t have a response.

Then something in his eyes flickered.

Not anger.

Not exactly.

Interest.

Sharp. Focused. Dangerous.

“…wow.”

Belle didn’t react.

Didn’t wait.

She slid her headphones back into place.

Conversation over.

Ethan watched her for half a second, then reached out—

Grabbing her wrist.

Not hard.

But firm enough to stop her from walking away.

That—

That did it.

Belle stopped.

Slowly, she turned back to him.

Her eyes dropped briefly to his hand on her wrist.

Then lifted to his face.

And for the first time—

There was something there.

Not fear.

Not surprise.

Something quieter.

Something colder.

“Let go.”

Her voice was still soft.

Still controlled.

But it carried weight this time.

Ethan held her gaze.

Testing.

Pushing.

Waiting for something—anything—to crack.

It didn’t.

Not even a little.

Her expression didn’t change.

Didn’t falter.

Didn’t react.

Like his touch meant nothing.

Like he meant nothing.

That—

That irritated him.

More than it should have.

His grip loosened slightly.

Then he let go.

Belle didn’t thank him.

Didn’t hesitate.

She just stepped back.

Adjusted her sleeve where he had touched her.

Then placed her headphones back fully over her ears.

The music resumed.

And just like that—

She was gone again.

Not physically.

She was still right there.

But mentally?

Completely unreachable.

Ethan exhaled slowly, watching her as she walked past him.

No glance back.

No second thought.

Nothing.

His tongue pressed against the inside of his cheek as a slow smile spread across his face.

Not a normal smile.

Something darker.

More intrigued.

“Alright…” he muttered under his breath.

His eyes followed her retreating figure.

Locked in.

Focused.

Interested.

“For the first time…”

His voice dropped slightly, almost thoughtful.

“I think I found something worth chasing.”

Belle POV

The music drowned everything out.

Just how she liked it.

The world became softer.

Quieter.

Manageable.

His voice?

Gone.

His presence?

Irrelevant.

Belle walked forward, her steps steady, her expression calm.

But beneath that calm—

Her chest felt tight.

Not because of him.

No.

Because of the song.

The lyrics wrapped around her again, pulling at something she tried so hard to keep buried.

Her ex’s voice filled her ears.

Familiar.

Painfully familiar.

Memories followed.

Uninvited.

Unstoppable.

His laugh.

His promises.

The way he used to say her name like it meant something.

Her fingers tightened slightly around her bag.

“…stop,” she whispered to herself.

But she didn’t skip the song.

Didn’t pause it.

Didn’t breathe.

Because this—

This pain—

It was hers.

And somehow…

It felt safer than anything else.

Even if it hurt.

Belle kept walking.

Not noticing the eyes still watching her from behind.

Not caring.

Not stopping.

Lost in her own world.

Just the way she preferred it.